Tranquility Besieged Pt. 06

War is turning into chaos

As mentioned earlier, this is more wartime romance than erotic, so some readers may wish to search elsewhere. It's fast moving, sometimes violent, hardcore science fiction. If a few of the terms appear antiquated, please remember this was written 40 years ago. All characters are over 18 years old.

Recap: Grey has rescued Kris some of the invasion force survivors but their renegade weapons are increasingly dangerous.

Chapter Eight

CONFLICTING STRATEGIES

The observatory airlock opened and three weary moon walkers emerged from the hatch. Grey set Michiko down on the floor and opened her faceplate for better ventilation, then shed his walker with quick, practiced efficiency. The bandages he was wearing were worn to the point that blood seeped through. He sat down next to Michiko to catch his breath.

"Damn that was a tough climb," Kris said, opening her faceplate and squatting down before them. She glanced at the wounds, looked into Grey's face with her questions, then changed the subject. "How you climbed that cliff in the first place is beyond me."

"Coming down should have been easier. It wasn't," Grey said, incredibly relieved the surface trek was over.

"I won't ever be able to thank you enough," Michiko said, stretching her legs with a sigh of relief. "I know I don't weigh my full weight here on the moon, but it still must have been hell."

"It wasn't so bad after we disconnected the intercom," Grey said.

Kris glanced at Grey with a frown, then looked at Michiko to see if she was offended. Michiko just laughed.

"Kris Fairfield," Kris introduced, offering her hand.

"I've heard of you. Hell, I guess everyone has. Michiko Hasegawa," the guest replied, accepting the handshake.

"Get pulled out of that wreck up there?" Kris asked.

"Thank God. Hear they had you locked up," Michiko said. "Hope it wasn't too rough?"

"They were just getting to the 'break the female's spirit' phase," Kris said, her expression conveying a meaning that appeared to elude Grey.

"Those bastards. Are you all right?" Michiko asked.

"Yeah, as usual, my hero arrived in the nick of time." Kris sat down next to Grey and took his hand, then kissed him on the cheek. "How are you doing?"

"Adequate, as usual," Grey said. He tried to smile, but he really didn't feel like it. He started to get up but Kris pushed him back down.

"We need a little rest here, mister. Where are you going?" she said.

Grey pointed at one of the packing cases stacked near the doorway. Kris pulled it over and popped the top off.

"Food. Water, too. Well, it looks like water, sort of," Kris said.

"Dietary and mineral supplements. Specially balanced for humans who have not eaten for several days," Grey said. "I was concerned."

"They more or less fed me, but I bet Michiko is hungry," Kris said.

"You know it," Michiko agreed, taking a container of juice and tasting the fluid. "My recycler provided water, but it was getting pretty rank there towards the end. I haven't eaten since we dropped from orbit."

Michiko gulped more fluids and started on the cakes. Grey and Kris both drank deeply to replenish lost fluids.

"I've heard chips of what's going on," Kris said. "And they asked me a lot of questions about those seekers the Security Computer brought in. Of course, I couldn't tell them anything even if I'd wanted to."

"The sentinel class seekers turned on the invaders and killed several," Grey said. "I've managed to extricate a few survivors, but the task has proved difficult."

"Is that how you got all shot up?" Michiko asked.

Grey was reluctant to reply.

"He does this all the time," Kris said to her, glancing at Grey. "Be honest for a minute. How bad is it?"

"The seekers are heavily armored and fire a pulse several times more powerful than our nightwatchers," Grey said. "I scored a few hits. Perhaps, after studying their methods, more successful tactics can be developed."

"They kicked your ass, didn't they?" Kris said.

"I wish everyone would stop saying that," he complained.

Michiko watched the exchange with keen interest, but especially the young man. He hardly seemed the tyrant they'd been sent to destroy.

"What are you going to do with me?" Michiko asked. "I've never been a prisoner before."

Kris looked at Grey, unaware of his plans. Grey was losing patience.

"You are not a prisoner," he answered, frowning. "Anytime you want to leave, just get up and go."

"Hey, don't get mad. I appreciate everything you've done," Michiko quickly said.

"It's okay, Grey," Kris said, putting a hand on his arm. "Michiko's not looking for trouble, she just wants to know where she stands. I know the feeling."

Kris smiled and so did Michiko. Grey suspected the females were having one of those bonding experiences humans were so fond of.

"Tour Guide," Grey called out.

From the lower end of SO-1, the tour guide came rushing up the steep tunnel, its tracks gripping the ceramic steel floor.

"Yes, young sir," the tour guide reported.

"We need a third suit of armor to get past the seekers. Bring one up from the community level armory," Grey ordered. "Bring an extra shield and weapons kit, too. The human ... that is, Lieutenant Hasegawa is weak from her ordeal. Ask Dr. Meriwether to stand by with the appropriate treatments."

"Yes, young sir, right away," the tour guide said. "And may I express pleasure in being offered the important duties that--"

"A unit of your unique specifications has always deserved," Grey said. "Acknowledged. Now get going."

The tour guide disappeared into the darkened tunnel, anxious to perform the mission well. Had Grey known what was going to happen, he would not have been so curt with his instructions.

"It will take several hours for the tour unit to return with the equipment," Grey said. "Until then, it's wisest to remain here and recover our strength."

He picked Michiko up and entered the observatory lobby. The spacious visitor center had a number of comfortable chairs, benches, computer access, and best of all, a lavatory for the ladies. Kris followed, towing the cart with their supplies, and they dug in near a window overlooking the northside of the ridge where the view of Vitruvius against the star studded background was all but spectacular. Grey had hardly sat down on the bench before he was sound asleep.

____________

Dr. Meriwether emerged from the hotel lobby drowsy after a long nap. Across the promenade, sitting on the veranda of the Lucky Clover, her three comrades were in animated discussion. I'm too old for this, Meriwether thought. Whatever possessed me to volunteer?

"Good afternoon," she said, taking a seat between Glenda and Tamera who, as had become their habit, were sitting as far apart from each other as possible. "A cup of that tea will do me good."

"Technically, I think it is now evening," Nicholas said. "We were thinking of going back for dinner soon. Will you join us?"

"I'll pick up a snack after I look in on Ted," Meriwether said. "So, what's got you kids all excited?"

"I was telling them about the fight in the landing bay and how Grey charged those seekers," Glenda said. "How do you suppose he does it? And that thing he does with his hips when he swings around, kind of a skipping hip hop? How can anyone do that and score hits at the same time?"

"He's accustomed to the gravity," Meriwether speculated. "It would take us years to learn some of the techniques he probably takes for granted."

"He's got a great butt, too," Glenda said.

Meriwether laughed. Nicholas looked a little embarrassed. Tamera just sat quietly on the sidelines.

"He's got this other move I like," Glenda continued. "As the seekers moved to squeeze his flanks, he spun back and forth, kind of like a ballet step, and scored every time."

"It is hard to admit, but I admired the way he challenged that seeker on the engineering level," Nicholas said. "The way you describe his style, he likes having space to maneuver, but there was none on the walkway. Still, he did not hesitate for a moment."

"If he'd hesitated, I'd be dead now," Glenda said. "That seeker hit so fast I never even zoned it." Glenda suddenly turned quiet, her expression more serious. "Why do you think he does it? I mean, Nick, I know how you feel and all, and little miss perfect here's not shy about shooting her mouth off. But all of that aside, why would he jump in front of a seeker for me? He doesn't even know me."

"We're soldiers," Tamera said. "Our lives are always risked for people we don't know."

"We're not his people," Glenda said. "He doesn't even have any people, or even family that anyone knows about. That's not an answer."

"He does not think of himself as a soldier," Nicholas said. "He said he is an engineer. Or he was."

"Was? Then what is he now?" Glenda asked.

"He's the Governor of the Moon," Meriwether said. "We may not take that title seriously, but he does. Seriously enough to fight for it. And, I believe, seriously enough to die for those under his protection."

"Is this what he calls protection?" Tamera said.

"No, Dr. Meriwether is right," Nicholas said. "I think we are under his protection, whether we understand it or not."

"Thanks for the support, Nicholas," Tamera said.

"It is what I've seen, even if he is our enemy," Nicholas said.

"But you don't mind praising him, do you?" Tamera asked.

"I love it when you guys fight," Glenda said. "I'm going to get cleaned up. Want to tag along, Tey?"

"I'll catch up later," Meriwether said, watching as Glenda left the veranda. Once Glenda was gone, she turned to the others.

"I know you have a personal agenda here," Meriwether said. "Hell, everybody on the mission knows it. But right now many lives depend on that young man. Not just yours and mine, but many of our comrades. Please keep that in mind."

She stood up with the tea pot in hand and went into the Lucky Clover looking for a refill, leaving Nicholas and Tamera alone at the table.

"We talked of this for months, Nicholas," Tamera said, her tone hurt. "I thought we felt the same way."

"Nothing has changed my feelings for you," Nicholas said, sliding his chair over to take her hand.

"Then what is it? I don't understand. When we first met at the university, we would stay up all night talking about the moon and our families, and coming here one day to find out what happened. It's what we trained for. Then last summer, when they told us who killed Catarina and Gregor, you were the first to say he must pay for his crimes."

"All you say is true," Nicholas admitted. "But something is wrong. I cannot explain what, but he is not what I expected."

"He's an arrogant monster, that much is clear."

"No, he is not arrogant. He is afraid."

"Afraid? I don't believe he's afraid of anything. He has no feelings to be afraid. Look how he fought that seeker."

"That is different. Many have said how courageous we are to volunteer for this mission. Have you not felt fear? Is it not possible to have courage yet also be afraid?"

Tamera nodded, keeping her head down.

"I need to be sure, Tamera," Nicholas continued. "I must know in my heart what really happened."

"I love you, Nicholas. I've loved you for a long time. If not for this mission, I'd be having your babies now. But I don't share your doubts."

"Will you hold back until I know that we are right? For me?" Nicholas asked.

"I'll try. Please ask no more than that," she replied.

Nicholas took her in his arms, lifted her chin, and kissed her gently on the lips.

"You know, this place is not so bad," he said. "If not for all the troubles, it could even be romantic."

"How romantic?" she asked.

"Let's go back to the hotel and find out," he answered.

Meriwether returned from the Lucky Clover in time to see Nicholas carrying Tamera across the promenade toward the hotel and had to smile. She sipped her tea, then went down the promenade to the ramp and up to the medical center.

"Hi, Ted, how are you feeling?" Meriwether asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Ted was sitting up looking at the bedside monitor, his empty dinner tray nearby.

"Hell of a lot better than yesterday," he smiled. "Guess I'm a lucky guy."

"Your color is better. Vital signs strong. I'd say you're lucky, too. That wound could have been far more serious," she concluded, putting her medical sensor away.

On the panel above the bed, she saw the monitoring of the Medical Computer, the system well-tuned to the needs of the patient. It amazed her that an antique could perform with such efficiency.

"I'd sure like to thank that kid," Ted said. "By the time I realized he didn't need my help, the seeker was on me. That rescue was incredible."

"And what would you know about it?" Meriwether asked. "You were flat on your back. Probably even unconscious."

"It's all right here," he said, giving the bedside monitor a slight turn. "Library, play back that last battle again."

"My pleasure, Ted," the Library Computer said.

To Meriwether's surprise, the fight in the landing bay replayed on the screen, the entire sequence captured from different angles on the bay observation monitors.

"That maneuver with the hopper is the greatest trick I've ever seen," Ted said, playing it again in slow motion. "See here? He knows the seeker is going to take out the port engine and deliberately lets it slide into a spin, using the thrusters as a weapon, then corrects course before the seeker gets back in the game. That's a nice piece of flying."

"Is there more of this? These images?" Meriwether asked.

"Oh gods, all kinds of stuff," Ted said. "The logs go back years."

"And it's all right here?"

"Yeah. The Library Computer is terrific. Tells good stories, too. Seems there was this time when--"

"Sorry to interrupt, Ted, but this is important," Meriwether said. "You know our secret directive on Waters?"

"They can go fuck themselves," Ted said, trying to lean forward. "No way am I cooperating with a termination order after what he did for me. For all of us."

Meriwether gently pushed him back and made sure of his bandages.

"That's not what I'm getting at," she said. "We really don't know much about him. No one knows what happened to the Columbus teams, or Black Raven, or even how Dr. McKinsey was killed. Hell, we don't even know what happened to the rebels who started this mess twenty years ago. If you could access these records--"

"That's right," Ted said. "If we could prove the kid is innocent, we can get the termination order reversed."

"At least we should hope so," Meriwether said. "Looks like you've got a project. But don't overdo it. Feeling better isn't the same as being better."

"I feel a lot better now," Ted said. "Thanks Tey, you always come through for us."

"What's the point of being older and wiser if I can't give you youngsters a hand?" she smiled.

Meriwether entered the quiet hospital corridors and decided to do a little exploring. Tranquility's medical center was a legend among researchers, and she wasn't disappointed. The test facilities were still performing experiments, though now automated. The two dozen treatment laboratories were clean and well-stocked, and the computers were up to date with theories even she hadn't heard about.

At the end of one hall, past the trauma rooms and First Aid stations, a door led to a room no patient would wish to visit. She entered the autopsy theater with hesitancy, studied the specialized tables, and examined the instruments laying on the counters. Their expedition had taken many casualties. Too many. Someone would need to perform the official postmortems and she knew who that someone would be.

At the back of the room, a tub was available for cleaning the cadavers and preparing them for burial, or cremation, depending on the final instructions. A door to her right was labeled MORGUE, a temporary storage area for the bodies prior to final disposal. She entered.

The cold storage vault was nearly full, the clear containers stacked to the roof in many places. She stopped to look at the body of Governor Thomas McKinsey, the man who had initiated the lunar revolt two decades before. A noble hero to some, a rebellious villain to others. With a sigh, Meriwether remembered watching his final telecast, just a few days before the Embargo Wars began. What had happened after that fateful announcement? Why did Tranquility become isolated?

Barely changed since the day he died, McKinsey's body looked like hell, the result of a slow degenerative process. Next to him was Chester Fairfield, Tranquility's architect and McKinsey's best friend. Sancho to McKinsey's Don Quixote. Fairfield looked good, though perhaps overweight. No doubt a sudden, unexpected death.

Here were the other lunar rebels as well. Dr. Lindy Yee. Specialist Marilyn Goldstein. And Colonel Jaime Vandebrown, the notorious turncoat. Here also was the mysterious Crystal Waters, a geologist for whom few records existed. All had died as suddenly as Fairfield, which struck Meriwether as odd. She stopped to read the reports attached to each container, then read them again, unable to believe what the charts were saying. All had died on the same night. December 31st, 2049. Except McKinsey, who had died a year later. That would have made Grey a baby when the last rebel died. Only seventeen months old.

Meriwether reached for her balance, leaning against the stack behind her for support. That poor child, she thought. How could he have survived all alone, orphaned on this godforsaken moonbase? What kind of upbringing did he have with only computers as companions? No wonder his mannerisms are so strange!

She looked at the charts for the Columbus teams. Records for the few bodies that remained intact showed they'd died of combat injuries within hours of reaching the colony. Then, near the rear of the morgue, she saw Black Raven's crew. In particular, she found young Catarina Kantanee, her body laid out in a lovely cotton dress, her hair carefully brushed around her shoulders. Flowers lay about the body, giving the coffin the appearance of a shrine.

The charts showed Black Raven's crew had died violently a few days after their shuttlecraft landed. What happened in those few days? Had Grey killed them, or had some terrible fate overtaken them? Ted will find the answers, Meriwether thought. She just prayed they weren't the same answers given by the propaganda ministers of the Northern Alliance.

____________

When Grey woke up, it had been many hours since the tour guide had departed for the community level. Too many. In the corner, the two females were sitting together talking with great friendliness. Kris was looking well, and Michiko had improved with food and liquids. He checked the time again and grew concerned.

"Hey, Grey," Kris said, coming over when she saw him stir. "We've been here quite a while now. What do you think we should do?"

"I was hoping the tour guide would bring us a third suit of armor," he said. "There's a seeker patrolling the research deck. Exiting 100E, even for the short walk to the elevators, could be dangerous."

"Can't we go around some other way?" Kris asked.

"It would be difficult," he said. "We'd need to go back out on the surface, access the defense battery, climb down the energy channel to the junction with the mineral processing center, then cross under the community level to the waste disposal pit. It's a steep climb."

"We're not in shape for that," Kris agreed, looking at Michiko.

Grey went to the equipment cart, sorted through the accessories, and pulled out a jumpsuit for himself before laying out the battle armor for Michiko.

"Help her suit up, then use the second outfit for yourself," Grey instructed. "The distance to the elevators isn't far. With luck and good timing, we can steal a march on that seeker."

Kris considered protesting, hoping Grey would take the armor instead, but she knew arguing would only aggravate him. He considered himself better qualified to be in the line of fire, and though she was reluctant to admit it, he was probably right. On the moon, no one had better moves than he did.

"I'll get Michiko suited and move down to 100E," Kris said. "We'll be ready when you give the word."

Grey nodded and started toward the observatory exit, then turned at the last minute to give Kris a kiss, knowing humans gained reassurance from such gestures. A moment later he was gone.

"Are you guys in love?" Michiko asked, struggling to her feet.

"We've never actually talked about it," Kris said. "Only known each other a few months. But yeah, I'd say so. I sure love him, though he makes me pretty mad sometimes."

"Have you had sex?" she inquired.

"Michiko! That is so personal!" Kris objected.

"It's just curiosity. He's really cute, but kind of introverted. I can't see him making the first move."

"I'll make the first move, when it's time," Kris confirmed. "But don't think he's not interested. Shy or not, he's still a guy."

"That's good," Michiko said with a smile. "Maybe he's not so abnormal after all."

At the mouth of 100E, Grey opened the heavy hatch just wide enough to slip through, instructed the hatch closed, and crawled up into the maintenance vent, working toward the primary access where he could see most of the research level without being observed. Once he knew it was safe, he twisted around and dropped to the perimeter walkway, leaving the vent cover open. If he needed a quick escape route, it was the only one within easy reach.

From the far side of the cavern, he heard a pinging sound, the firing of a seeker pulse. He dove to the floor with his borrowed Marsden in hand and crawled along the edge of the walkway toward the elevators. As he reached the semi-enclosed lobby, Grey saw why the tour guide had not returned. All around him, the scattered remains of the helpful robot lay in blasted ruins, the cart it had been towing overturned. Grey kneeled, lifted what was left of the tour guide's head, and struggled to hold back tears, for there seemed little possibility of repairing the damage.

He found an old fashioned Remington blaster among the undamaged portion of the supplies, checked again to see if the east side of the research level was being watched, then preset the elevator controls and returned quietly to the 100E access. He opened the hatch, motioned to Kris and Michiko for silence, and led them quickly to the elevator. Kris looked to him with many questions, especially after seeing the destroyed tour guide, but Grey had no time for speculation. He gave the women a gentle shove into the elevator, then stepped back and signaled for the doors to close.

With Kris and Michiko safely dispatched to the community level, Grey returned to the damaged equipment cart and searched for anything useful. He realized the seekers were changing their strategy from search and destroy to just plain destroy. How long, he wondered, until they moved from mobile units and equipment carts to oxygen tanks, fuel depots, and critical science experiments? How long until they learned the invaders could be destroyed by the destruction of the colony's environmental systems? Not long, he guessed.

There was an extra suit of battle armor in the overturned cart, though the e.s. system was wrecked. The shield was damaged, the converter cables severed, and the reserve power supply shattered. But the suit's tactical scanners were intact, and Grey found two belts of power packs. He suited up, left the visor open for ventilation, and went down the ramp to the ground floor of the research deck.

He moved cautiously along the outer edge of the testing labs, occasionally going into the back corridors which curved around through the perimeter tunnels until they returned to the main floor, and eventually reached the corridors located almost directly underneath the complex where a pocket of humans were trapped. It didn't take long to stack several work benches under the vent, access the maintenance junction, and climb up to the rear section of the research level environmental support station, just one complex over from the decontamination area.

He was tempted to cut straight through the wall, but without knowing exactly what was on the other side, he couldn't be sure the activity wouldn't start a fire. He did clear all the equipment away from his side of the wall and mentally marked the location before proceeding.

Hoping the seeker wasn't in the immediate area, Grey went down the corridor to the mouth of the research section. Unfortunately, it was, and it wasn't alone. On the walkway halfway between his section and the next, a dead human lay against the wall, armor torn open and weapon fallen nearby.

Keeping close to the inner doorway, Grey studied the tactical readouts carefully, but only one seeker showed. Without a shield, and unable to seal armor, Grey was reluctant to challenge the seeker one-on-one, so he hunkered down to wait. Perhaps it would patrol the deck, or back off to a greater distance. He hoped it would just go away. But if nothing else, waiting would give him a chance to watch the seeker's patterns. With luck, he would learn more about their tactics than they knew about his.

____________

When Kris reached the community level, she was glad to find a mobile unit waiting to help Michiko. She was cautious, not knowing what to expect, but the short walk to the medical center proved uneventful.

"Welcome home, Captain Fairfield," the Medical Computer said from the lobby terminal. "Examination room C is standing by for Lieutenant Hasegawa. You are assigned to examination room D."

"Check with you on that later," Kris said.

"You've suffered a frightful experience, Captain Fairfield," Medical said. "I must insist on immediate physical as well as psychological testing to determine your fitness for duty."

"Perhaps it's a good idea, Kris, after the way those bastards treated you," Michiko suggested.

"Maybe later, if I stress out," Kris responded. "Right now I want to find out what's going on without Grey sugar-coating it."

She guided Michiko into the examination room, helped her up on the padded table while helping to remove her clothes, and gave her an encouraging smile before returning to the lobby. Perhaps with a tinge of jealously. Since her sister had returned to Earth three months before, Kris had been the most beautiful woman on the moon. And the only woman. That had now changed. Michiko, though petite, was a real looker. Had Grey noticed?

"Security," Kris summoned, sitting down at the reception desk.

The black signature patterns sheepishly filtered into the desk top monitor screen.

"Hi, Kris, welcome back," the Security Computer said.

"Welcome back my ass," she said. "Aren't you supposed to be offline?"

"That's right. I must have forgotten."

"You forgot that a team of well-trained technicians pulled your plug?" Kris demanded. "What the hell's going on here? Status report."

The signature patterns fluctuated in correlation and separation modes preparing a response. Grey would have found the patterns suspicious, but Kris lacked his years of peculiar experience.

"The community level is secure and operating on independent power sources," Security reported. "Our orbital defense web is discouraging reinforcements from approaching lunar space, at least for now. All systems interrupted by the invasion are back online except for the Defense Computer linkage and off-planet communications."

"What's the story with these seekers?" Kris asked.

"The seekers we retrieved from Neighbor escaped from the maintenance bay partially reprogrammed. The authority modes are inoperative. They killed several invaders and have begun to randomly destroy equipment and supply centers. The destructive sequences are increasing in frequency."

"How serious are we talking about?" Kris asked.

"No immediate threat is anticipated," Security responded with a deceptive sub current.

"Thank God for that," Kris said. "How are the prisoners coping?"

"One wounded, presently residing in the medical ward," Security said. "Four are quartered in the hotel with access to the public facilities. Reports indicate that more will be arriving soon."

"We both know Grey can be lax on this," Kris said. "I want all security procedures reviewed and a full report on each prisoner. Service records, current status, any psych files you can dig up."

"Acknowledged," Security said.

"Was Alpha there the whole time? Watching over me?" Kris suddenly asked.

"Governor's orders," Security conceded.

"He knew this was going to happen, didn't he?"

"The Governor anticipated different scenarios and planned accordingly. Except for the renegade seekers, his contingency plans have performed as designed," Security explained.

"Is that why you're still online? Some sort of deception?"

"Affirmative."

"So what's really going on?" she asked, more confused than enlightened.

"You'll have to ask the Governor, Kris," Security said, the signature patterns pausing to indicate a high level security mode had been accessed.

"You can count on it," she said.

Checking her sidearm, Kris walked down the ramp to the ground floor and started toward the hotel. Two people saw her from the entrance of the Lucky Clover and rushed to intercept.

"Captain Fairfield," Dr. Meriwether called out.

"Captain. Over here," Glenda shouted.

Kris altered course and they met in the middle of the promenade, the newcomers dressed in casual civilian attire. Kris still in her battle armor.

"Kris Fairfield. Jeez, it's an honor to meet you," Glenda said, extending her hand with an excited smile.

"Hello, Captain Fairfield. I'm Dr. Tey Meriwether and this is Lieutenant Glenda Blout," Tey introduced, also extending her hand.

Surprised at first, Kris sized up the two women and then shook their hands, receiving enthusiastic responses from both.

"Don't worry, we're not your enemies," Glenda said, realizing what Kris must be wondering. "After what Grey did for us, I'm not sure we're even neutral anymore. At least, I'm not." She glanced over to Meriwether, who didn't disagree.

"Let's just say I'm keeping an open mind," Meriwether said. "Murderers aren't known to risk their lives for strangers the way your friend does."

"Grey hasn't done any of that crap they've accused him of," Kris said. "He's not only the bravest person I've ever met, but one of the most generous."

"That has become obvious," Meriwether agreed. "Though our Russian comrades are not inclined to see it that way."

Kris nodded, planning to check it out. "Your wounded crewmate?"

"Lieutenant Davis?" Meriwether said. "He's a little too shot up to be much of a threat, but he is grateful."

"Ted Davis?" Kris asked.

"Yeah, he's our com officer," Glenda said. "You know him?"

"We served aboard the Independence together," Kris said. "Can't say I know him real well, but we've shared a few meals under fire. Is he okay?"

"Recovering just fine," Meriwether said, impressed with the captain's firm but friendly attitude. Not at all the taciturn veteran she'd been expecting. But then, nothing at Tranquility was turning out as expected. "He's sleeping right now, but I'm sure he'd appreciate a visit from an old crewmate later."

"We're going to check in on Michiko, then get something to eat," Glenda said. "It would be great if you'd join us?"

Kris looked around the quiet empty rows of store fronts and surrounding balconies realizing there was no immediate danger, then studied the prisoners again. Friendship was the last thing she'd expected.

"Sure, why not?" Kris said with a cautious smile.

____________

After an hour of inactivity, Grey decided the seeker had more staying power than he had patience for. He set himself, waited for the seeker to reach an angle awkward for its scanners, then charged out, opening fire and scoring three successive hits.

As the seeker shifted out over the open floor area, Grey ran along the second floor walkway and turned to fire with both weapons just as the seeker turned back toward him. The double impact blinded the seeker's forward scanning array and inflicted some genuine damage.

While the seeker dropped back to recover, Grey grabbed the dead human by the collar and dragged the body from the corridor into a narrow hall. He held back for a moment, then stepped out with both guns blazing. The seeker dodged this time, then fired back halfheartedly, satisfied to have the target trapped in the tunnel. Grey was pleased, too, having scored several hits without one counter blow. And he liked the effect of the double shot, studying the weapons to see if they could be modified for extra charges.

Grey retreated down the hall slowly, keeping the seeker on tactical until he reached a split in the corridor. Battle damage to the right led him to where the humans must be barricaded. The corridor divided again, and at the end of the larger passage, reinforced storage lockers were stacked among the rubble where both walls and much of the ceiling had caved in. He crawled up the rubble, cleared an opening near the top, and squeezed through to the other side.

"There he is!" Grey heard someone shout.

Grey slid down the inside wall of the barrier kicking dust as he went, then felt the first impact on his armor just before gaining his footing. Another shot, closer to his open visor, caused a flash of heat against his face. Grey somersaulted to the side and came up firing, scattering the humans while he ducked into the first room.

"Go get him," he heard a voice order.

"You go get him," someone else fearfully protested.

"Cease fire," Grey called out.

His request was met with a barrage of return fire that cut up the doorway but came nowhere near their target. Grey moved up close enough to scan his opposition and found eight humans, two with activated shields, two more armed but farther back, and the others hiding in an off-shoot corridor.

"Humans, I've come to assist you. Hold your fire," he tried again.

Silence this time. The shields remained activated. If the humans were attempting to trick him, it wasn't going to work. But he could let them think it was going to work. He ejected the expended power pack from the Marsden, added a fresh charge, and holstered both sidearms, adjusting the belts for quick draw mode. Then he stepped into the corridor with his hands held out to either side.

"I'm the one who has been sending you food and water," he simply stated. "If you'd rather not be supplied, just say so."

The four humans most easily visible were all armed but only the two holding shields appeared ready to fight. They hesitated, and for a moment, Grey hoped they would listen to reason, then their weapons were slowly raised. Grey held back as long as he dared, then drew the Marsden and fired. The first shot struck one human on the gun hand just wide of the shield. His second shot was fired wide beam, disrupting the other human's tacticals long enough to shoot into the converter cables and blow out the shield screen.

Grey jumped to one side to avoid incoming fire, then shifted all the way to the other side of the corridor, maintaining constant fire on their armor and support equipment. Both humans stumbled backward as Grey methodically advanced on their line, dodging every attempt to target him.

When Grey drew his second weapon and swept the corridor with wide beam blasts, the entire group of humans began to panic, rushing to the rear of the corridor and trying to make a haphazard stand. Grey rained steady destruction on their converter cables and e.s. systems, every shot taking dramatic effect until what little they had left was a shambles. Just as he reached the point where he may be forced to injure the humans, they threw up their hands.

"That's enough, you son of a bitch," one of them said.

"Please, no more," a female voice begged.

"Drop your weapons and unleash your equipment. All of it," Grey ordered, keeping the foolish humans under his guns until they complied.

"For the love of God, don't kill us," a human pleaded as the last of their accessories fell to the floor.

Grey holstered the expended Marsden, but kept his Remington at the ready position, then approached slowly to see if any of the prisoners were wounded. One was rubbing his gun hand through the armored gauntlet, and all looked tense, but he saw no obvious injuries.

"Ridiculous humans," Grey sneered, still feeling the burn on his cheek. "Do what you're told if you wish to remain undamaged."

"What are you going to do with us?" a female asked.

"Remain silent and follow instructions," Grey ordered, concluding that conversation with the hostile group would only prove time consuming.

Accessing the farthest corridor to the east, Grey herded the invaders into a side room, then used the heavy blaster and an extra power pack to cut a hole through the wall into the adjoining section. He wanted to return the way he came, but couldn't think of a way to keep the humans from spreading out and getting into mischief. He took a chance and moved on to the next complex instead, cutting another hole to reach a section very near 100E.

"Line up against the wall," Grey directed, waiting impatiently while the humans obeyed. Several put their hands over their heads and faces, apparently convinced they were about to be murdered. Grey tried to suppress a growing sense of hostility.

"When the signal is given, you will exit this section and turn left," Grey instructed in a surly tone. "Go rapidly to the elevator. Make as little noise as possible. The moment you're all inside, close the doors. The elevator will take you to the community level where others of your kind are waiting. Report to Captain Fairfield for instructions. Do you have any questions?"

"You're letting us go?" one wondered in surprise as the others glanced around hopefully.

Grey shook his head in dismay and shuffled to the mouth of the corridor. As expected, the seeker was shifting in and out of various complexes trying to locate the missing quarry. He ducked back, and as the humans watched, he slapped a fresh cartridge into the Marsden.

"Is he going to fight that thing without a shield?" someone asked.

"No one's that stupid," her companion answered.

Grey took a deep breath, wished for a moment he'd found a better way to handle the situation, then motioned for the humans to get moving. As the first few started off, he took up a position near the railing and waited for the seeker.

It didn't take long. The humans were noisy, disorganized, and slower than he hoped for. The seeker turned to scan the sudden activity, then accelerated across the open area of the cavern to cut the humans off. Grey stayed low and shifted left, tracking the angle of the seeker as the humans spotted the danger and began to run faster. When the seeker had covered half of the distance to the elevator, he stood erect and opened fire with both weapons, again using the double impact strategy.

Two hits sent the seeker off course with Grey sidestepping along the walkway just a few paces ahead. Several humans made it inside the elevator, then more. Grey continued firing, attempting to draw the seeker in his direction, then shifting again until the seeker couldn't reach the remaining humans without facing him at point blank range.

The seeker finally turned and came at him head on firing full power pulses. Grey ducked, took a hit that knocked him backward, then was hit again, the impact bouncing him against the wall and buckling armor. Landing on his posterior, he fired from a sitting position before rolling underneath the seeker's charge and scoring another hit in flank. The seeker rotated up and out, fired accurately enough to drive Grey hard into the elevator retaining wall, but then the seeker had to give ground as Grey counterattacked, damaging a wing jet and scorching a forward sensor.

As the seeker swung wide to reach the elevator lobby from the other side, the last human entered the waiting car. The moment the doors closed, the automatic control activated and dropped the elevator rapidly to the community level. Grey used the distraction to run in the opposite direction, jumping over the railing to the deck below and ducking inside a maintenance alcove. By the time the seeker turned back, his trail had been lost.

Grey paused at the lower access hatch to see if the seeker would follow, then was surprised to see it fire a frustrated pulse into the environmental control station. The processors burst into rippling flames that soon spread to the containment tanks. Another pulse exploded into the alloy development department.

The seeker didn't stop there. After circling around the worst of the flames, the seeker started shooting into the chemical storage areas, igniting a host of volatile fluids that spread toward the experimental fuel depot, a center of highly dangerous substances.

Grey quickly retraced his steps to the emergency alert com, and though he bitterly resented ruining years of vital experiments, had no choice but to activate the crisis decompression mode. Within seconds the atmosphere was venting through an insulated shaft into the lunar vacuum a hundred meters above. The vacuum would effectively extinguish the flames, and Grey, too, if he didn't hurry. Even as the rush of escaping oxygen sought to pull him backward, Grey pulled the heavy hatch of the lower maintenance shaft closed and started down the circular stairwell that connected to the waste disposal access, then ran underneath the research level to the extreme west end.

There was no time for delay. If the seeker escaped into the science tunnel, it could track him, so he moved as rapidly as possible, pushing his already tired muscles for every bit of energy he had left. At the end of the waste disposal access, he climbed back up to the research level, entered SR-3, and bounced down the steep tunnel through the junction at SR-2, connected with SR-5, and made a direct plunge to the Loop.

For once his timing was good. No seeker was patrolling the area and the northside retractor was still online, giving him flank protection if he needed it. Grey jumped down from the ramp to the main floor, crossed the Loop to the computer vault, and burst in so rapidly that the three technicians hiding there hardly realized what had happened.

"Don't move," Grey demanded, so out of breath it amazed him the words came out.

The technicians thrust up their hands in surrender even though Grey hadn't bothered to draw his weapon. Not a warrior's instinct among them, he thought. He ignored the humans for the time being and passed on down to the lower level to inspect the intellect blocks. The technicians had overridden some of the sub-systems attempting to bring up the communications array, but he saw nothing that was irreparable. Even the Defense Computer looked like it could be reintegrated once the primary controls at North Point had been reset.

Having learned what he needed to know, Grey went back up the stairs to confront the humans.

"Who are you?" one of them asked, a stocky young male of Asian heritage.

"It's him. Waters," his somewhat older comrade said.

"Oh, God, he's going to kill us," the last one cried, putting her hands over her face.

"Pathetic humans," Grey mumbled, almost feeling sorry for them.

He went up to the outer chamber and entered the alcove that protected the vault. The Loop was still empty.

"Follow me," Grey said, drawing the Marsden as he walked rapidly toward CA-3. The humans grabbed their tool bags and ran after him.

Just as they reached the heavy protective hatch, Grey heard the whispering wail of seeker jets. Tactical told him he had company coming on full thrusters from CA-1. He rushed CA-3's opening sequence, then took up position in front of the tunnel entrance.

"Squeeze through the moment the hatch clears," Grey ordered with a worried voice.

As the hatch slowly moved aside, Grey couldn't help wondering if he'd pushed his luck once too often. His armor was degraded to the point of being useless, and he didn't feel he had the energy left to dance with a fresh enemy. For a moment, he experienced an odd feeling of foreboding.

"We're through," a human announced, fully aware of the rapidly approaching danger.

First one, then all three humans pushed in, squeezing the equipment after them. But Grey was hesitant to retreat with the seeker bearing down on him. He double-checked the half depleted power pack on the Marsden, then raised the weapon from a defensive stance. Suddenly, the northside retractor opened fire, scoring a direct hit on the seeker's port wing jet and denting the canopy. The seeker ducked to one side and veered off, gaining altitude where the retractor had no range. By then Grey was gone, the hatch firmly closed behind him.

"Johnny, did you see that?" Dr. Polanski whispered when the three rescued technicians paused at the bottom of CA-3 just above the reception area.

"More than you, I think," Johnston said. "I didn't realize his blaster was almost expended until he turned to point it at the seeker."

"What do you think it means?" Specialist Comedia wondered, her eyes studying the men for clues. "How did he expect to stop that thing?"

"He didn't," Johnston said. "He was buying us time."

Grey came down the steep tunnel segment slowly, hoping the technicians would disperse into the community level before he had to confront them. When he noticed the group lingering at the bottom of the tunnel, his old nervousness reasserted itself. He was tired, frightened by the strange sensation of finality he had experienced, but more than anything, angry at what the seeker had done to the research level. For the moment, he wanted nothing to do with humans.

"Johnston Woo, University of Connecticut," Johnston said, offering his hand. "This is Dr. Jasper Polanski, Berlin University of Science, and Jona Comedia, Paris First Tech."

Grey responded with the mandatory handshakes and started to move on.

"Hey, we wanted to thank you," Johnston said, trying to get Grey's attention.

Grey glanced back and nodded with a non-verbal acknowledgement. Johnston saw their rescuer was not only exhausted, but shaken. He guessed it was the close call with the seeker, but it was only a guess. Grey didn't stay to converse, entering the reception area and heading for the rear offices of the administration section.

"Grey. Grey. Where are you going?" he suddenly heard Kris call.

Grey paused, glancing toward the quad, and though happy to see her, he wasn't happy to see nearly a dozen humans following in her wake. He dropped the remaining pieces of his ruined combat gear behind the reception counter and all but ran in the opposite direction, disappearing before anyone had a chance to pick up his trail.

"Not very friendly, is he?" one of the guests said, joined by murmurs of agreement.

Kris turned on them with a flair, then realized they could not be expected to understand.

"He's friendly enough, to those who cooperate," she said with the hint of a threat.

"Where'd he go?" someone asked.

Kris shrugged and started to herd the visitors back down into the quad, but she suspected the answer well enough. The Governor was going home.

* * * * * *

To be continued ...

Author's note: in the novel, there is a detailed map of the Tranquility Lunar Colony showing all of the decks and tunnels described in the book, but the format here doesn't provide for the map being shown.